CM Chandrababu Reviews Cyclone Murasu Situation in Early Morning Teleconference

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held another teleconference with district collectors and officials at 3:30 AM on Tuesday to review the situation caused by Cyclone Murasu. Officials informed him that the cyclone had made landfall near Kothapatnam, close to Ongole, at around 1 AM and was expected to completely cross the coast by 6:30 AM. The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that people in cyclone-affected areas did not venture onto roads unnecessarily. He also enquired about the condition of electricity poles and substations. Electricity department officials said that no power poles had fallen and there had been no disruption to electricity supply so far. Chandrababu instructed officials to take all necessary precautions to prevent loss of life and minimise property damage.

During the teleconference, district collectors briefed the Chief Minister on the ground situation. The Bapatla Collector reported heavy rainfall in the district, particularly in Repalle, Chirala and Vetapalem, and said that two fallen trees had been cleared immediately. Nellore Collector Himanshu Shukla said that trees had fallen at seven locations in the district and were promptly removed, while moderate rainfall was continuing. Prakasam Collector Rajababu reported that fallen trees had been reported at five locations and that the authorities had taken necessary action. In Krishna district, rainfall was heavier in areas such as Avanigadda and Nagayalanka. The Guntur Collector said that rainfall had been recorded across all mandals, but no incidents involving fallen trees or electricity poles had been reported. NTR District Collector Lakshmi Sha said that light showers were occurring in several areas and that there were no immediate problems in the Budameru region. As a precaution against possible landslides in Mogalrajpuram, some families had been shifted to relief camps.

Collectors also informed the Chief Minister that arrangements were being made for the counting of votes in local body elections while cyclone relief and precautionary measures continued. Chandrababu had earlier held a teleconference at 10 PM on Monday and continued receiving updates from officials every hour through the night. He spent Monday at the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) monitoring the cyclone situation and coordinated with senior officials from various departments as well as field-level staff. He also conducted three teleconferences on Monday to review preparedness and coordinate response measures.